THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. MONDAY, JULY 22, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 245, 22 July 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. MONDAY, JULY 22, 1872.

The Sliortland Fire Relief Fund Committee deserves the thanks of the community for the energy which they have displayed in collecting subscriptions in aid of the sufferers, and the public may be congratulated on the liberal manner iu which the call for assistance has been responded to. The sub-committee will meet to-day to prepare their report, which will be laid before the General Committee on Wednesday. We have no doubt the document will be such as to reflect credit upon the gentlemen who are to prepare it, and be satisfactory to the committee and the people generally. The great difficulty will be to take care that all really deserving cases of distress are relieved, but at the same time care must be taken that no one is placed in a better position than he was before the fire, otherwise it looks like holding out a“ premium, which might possibly be taken advantage of.

Some of the claimants for aid were very modest in their demands. One poor fellow who lost his little alh sauj he should be satisfied if the committee gave him L 3. Another, who, whilst, rendering assistance and was' much bruised, said he did not mind his bruises, for nature would heal them, but lie had lost his coat, and if he had another in its place he should be content. Others, again, stated their losses at an amount which cannot be re arded as extravagant. On the other hand, again, some of the claims are undoubtedly large —some of them so much so as to be probably beyond the power ef the Committee Tiie great difficulty will he to make an equitable distribution—to see, it possible, that no really deserving sufferer is unrelieved, and at the same time that no one shall make a good tiling of it. One sufferer to a considerable extent, Mr Blundell, has made no claim whatever upon the committee, and we believe intends to make none. That is indeed most creditable, and is an example worthy of imi.at.on by all who can afford to act in such a manner. To a poor man who, with his family, is cleared out of house and home a tire is a most serious calamity. To another, better off in this world’s goods, it is merely one of those accidents to be taken into account in estimating the usual risks ot business. Nevertheless it often happens that those who can best afford a loss make the most fuss about it. VVe know tha. this is not the case in this instance, and, so far as we can judge in most of the cases brought forward on Saturday, the statements made bore upon them the impress of truth, and are surrounded by circumstances corroborative ot their genuineness. It is very pleasing to see a leading professional man, whose time really is money, giving up professional engagements, and postponing a business trip to Auckland for several days, in order to attend to this committee. The other members are also for the most part business men, and they have cheerfully given much time and trouble to making inquiries, canvassing the district, attending meetings, and otherwise promoting the work in hand. A suggestion was made at the meeting on {Saturday that there should be an inquest iuto the cause and origin of this fire. This the Chairman said lie thought was premature, but, as soon as ever the police could find a clue, he for one would see that an inquiry was held. It is, we believe, in the power of any sufferer by the fire to take steps to have an inquest held, but the view of the chairman—who, by the way, is a lawyer and coroner also—will, we think, be found the best. At present the links in the chain of evidence which would tend to criminate anybody are very weak, and no chain whatever can be stronger than its weakest link. We have no doubt the police will make all inquiries, and should any private citizen be in possession of facts bearing upon the case, it is his duty to come forward and state what he knows to the authorities relative to this disastrous occurrence.